


Glad I Finally Met You

by supercasey



Series: Nomad of Nowhere: Twins AU [2]
Category: Nomad of Nowhere (Web Series)
Genre: Abandonment, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Siblings, Alternate Universe - Twins, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Trauma, Dead Parents, F/F, Fire, First Meetings, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Mute Nomad, Muteness, Mutual Pining, Nomad of Nowhere Twins AU, Parent Death, Pining, Protective Siblings, Protectiveness, Sign Language, Strangers to Friends, Twins, forest fire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 14:25:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16348412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercasey/pseuds/supercasey
Summary: Nodad/Twins/Alternate Twins AU. In another universe, Skout and Hunter grow up together. Twenty years after their birth, a privately owned military force happens upon their briar… and their leader captures the heart of young Skout.





	Glad I Finally Met You

**Author's Note:**

> So a lot of people on Tumblr wanted to see this fic come out first (though I’ll be honest, one of the other ones was already being written, but I wanted to do this one first since people wanted it), and I really hope y’all will like it! (Sorry it took so long, though. I’ve been busy working on my Nomad cosplay for Youmacon, along with some other stuff). Enjoy!

A strong gust of billowing autumn air brushes past Toth, causing the Y’Dalian woman to huff under her breath. She brushes a hand through her hair, trying her hardest to hide how exhausted she is from her soldiers. This is the third lead this month, and while the Don has reminded Toth time and time again that he’s patient… well, she knows that he’s not patient. He never has been and he never will be. Not to mention, Don Paragon refuses to send her people even a drop of water until she finds a substantial lead on the Nomad of Nowhere. Easier said than done, considering the fact that the Nomad’s been missing for well over a hundred years.

Shaking the thought away, Toth straightens her back and focuses on the road ahead. She hates to get her hopes up- such things have only ever led her to disappointment- but this latest lead actually sounds somewhat legit. To begin with, the guy she got it from seemed fairly interested in helping, and not just for the sake of free water. The stranger had been more than helpful, offering an exact location to start searching that Toth had never thought to look through… the Briar. Now, the reason she and no one else working under Don Paragon had come near this particular location is simple- the place is rumored to be inhabited by a monstrous murderer.

To be entirely fair, those rumors are pretty old, but enough human remains had been found around the Briar at the time the rumor was most wide-spread to instill fear in anyone who dared to approach the area, successfully keeping everyone away. Well, Toth’s about to break the cycle of fear, and she’s going to be the first person to willingly enter the Briar in over ten years. Just in time too, as a moment after thinking this, Toth finds herself in front of the large, looming forest of thorns. Parking her horse, Toth dismounts and stands before the Briar, waiting to begin her speech until her Dandy Lions have filed themselves at attention in front of her.

“Ahem,” Toth clears her throat, causing the small crowd to hush their voices and pay attention. “I have gathered you all here today to continue the Oasis’ most important mission; to seek out and capture the Nomad of Nowhere. You have all been selected individually from the Don’s collection of Dandy Lions, meaning that you’re all the best that the Oasis has to offer. You should wear this badge of honor with pride, but don’t let it get to your head,” She aims that last bit at her second-in-command, Red Manuel, who visibly scoffs under his breath at the subtle callout. “During our mission, you’ll be split into two groups. The first group will enter into the briar from here with me, while the second group will enter through the other side of the Briar with Red Manuel. Our goal is to flank the Nomad from the north and south, so that he’ll have little means of escape. Any questions?”

One of the soldiers- Jethro, if her memory is correct- raises his hand. “Uh, Captain? Yes, will we be allowed to, uh, choose our teammates?” He asks, eyes glancing between the two Dandy Lions closest to him.

Toth shakes her head. “No, I will choose the teams. However, you and your friends there can be on my team, as well as two others,” She glances to the two nearest soldiers, gesturing for them to come forward. Once Jethro and his friends- plus the two extras- are near her, the captain nods with satisfaction. “My team will be Blue Team. The rest of you,” She addresses the other five Dandy Lions, her voice stern. “You’ll be Red Team, seeing as you’re under Red Manuel’s leadership.”

“Yeah, Red Team rules!” One of the Dandy Lions shouts, earning an appreciative laugh from Red Manuel. Usually Toth wouldn’t give Red this much power, but seeing as she has a bigger team than usual, she needs all the help she can get… even if it IS Red’s help.

“Shut it! Blue Team is way better. We don’t have to deal with Red for the rest of the mission.” One of Jethro’s friends- Null, was it? Toth recognizes him as a fellow Y’Dalian from her tribe- says, wearing a sly smirk.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Toth orders, physically getting in-between the two teams to stop them from starting a brawl. “You’ve all been assigned… Red Manuel, start getting your men to the other side of the Briar. My team and I will start from here and see if we can find anything. If you find the Nomad, do NOT engage. Wait until backup has arrived. My team will make its way into the middle of the forest, and if you’re not there within two hours, we’ll send out a search party to find you.”

Red Manuel rolls his eyes, unimpressed by the plan. “Where’s the glamor? The pazazz? Would it not be better if we were to, say, go as one unit with Red Manuel leading the charge?”

Toth would scoff if she thought it would make a difference, but seeing as it’s Red she’s dealing with here, she holds her tongue, instead fixing him with a harsh scowl. “If we end up finding the Nomad- who I should remind you, is by all accounts, a powerful wizard- we need to insure that he has nowhere to run. If we all approach from one side, he could simply run the other way and escape. We cannot afford to lose him in there, not when it’s clear that he’s been here for well over a hundred years.”

Red Manuel glares right back at Toth, but amazingly enough keeps himself from arguing. Toth KNOWS that Red giving up so quickly is a sign of trouble, but she’d rather get this show on the road than start a fight over nothing. “All done? Good, because we have work to do,” Toth says, unloading her horse and tossing on her backpack, the sack nearly overflowing with supplies; though she’ll admit, it’s mostly knives in there. “Blue Team, follow me, and try not to fall behind.”

Obediently, half of the assembled Dandy Lions follow Toth’s lead, leaving Red Manuel and his soldiers to begin their long trek to the other side of the Briar. Toth breathes a sigh of relief once Red is gone, knowing that she can let her guard down around her more trusted soldiers. Speaking of which, Jethro, Santi, and Null are all quick to take up the back of the pack, the three of them conversing amongst themselves while Toth and the other two take up the front, effectively giving them some private time. Toth secretly smiles at their exchanges, glad that at least some of her soldiers are going to have a good time… maybe it means she can have a good time, too.

It figures, that after thinking that thought, everything would go to shit.

Later on, Toth will admit that she has no idea what caused her to trip- it was most likely a stray stone, or an overgrown tree root- but in any case, something causes Toth to lose her footing, and with no way to stop herself, the captain falls heavily down a mud-slick slope, scratching herself up quite a bit on the way down. She blacks out, if only for a moment, but once she wakes up, Toth knows that there’s no way she’s getting back up that slope- it’s far too steep, and the overwatered mud makes it impossible to scale. Up above, still standing on the edge of the slope, her Dandy Lions try to call down to her, but her ears are ringing too much to hear what they’re saying.  
  
“Toth, ‘re you okay? Speak to us! ...We’re gonna find a way down!” It’s Jethro’s shouting that finally gets through to Toth, his voice carrying down to her from at least ten feet up. “Stay where ya are, Captain, we’ll be down as soon as we can!”

Toth coughs, spitting out a mouthful of mud. She shivers, nearly puking at the taste, but manages to keep her breakfast down. “Don’t… don’t climb down from there!” Toth yells, wincing at the painful croak of her voice. “It’s too slick! Go and meet up with Red Team… I’ll find my way out. Jethro, you’re in charge!”

There’s a pause, where Toth’s half-scared that her squad is about to break their asses trying to get down to her, but a moment later, she hears Santi speak up as the voice of reason. “You heard her, Jethro- we have to find Red,” He says, taking charge despite that being Jethro’s new job. “Lead the way, friend.” But he’s quick to hand the title back over.

Toth waits until her squad has successfully followed orders and left to even try moving again- confirming her fears when she can’t help but audibly whimper, her back bruised and sore from banging into her backpack so many times. She’s immensely grateful that none of her knives got unsheathed on the way down… that would NOT have ended well. It takes some time, but eventually, Toth manages to sit up, giving her surroundings a worried onceover. She’s fallen into a clearing, the grass here a much darker green. Standing, Toth wipes herself off, leaving her backpack on the ground for the time being.

Just as she’s about ready to get moving again, Toth catches the slightest movement from the corner of her eye. Whipping around, all she finds is a small, grey rock. Scoffing under her breath, Toth rolls her eyes and picks the rock up, squeezing it in her fist. “To think… jumping because I thought I saw a rock move. I must’ve hit my head on the way down.”

Suddenly, the rock gives a weak shake. Toth loosens her grip on the stone, eyes widening as the rock sprouts two big, black-pupiled eyes. Screaming in horror, Toth drops the rock, falling on her ass as she tries to swiftly back away, only to bump into more animated rocks. Triggered by the yelling, every nearby rock- including a massive boulder- comes to life, scattering at the sight of Toth. The captain hyperventilates under her breath, grabbing at her bag and yanking out a knife. She unsheathes it, swinging around at the feeling of eyes on her back, only to find herself holding her knife up to a young girl.

The girl tilts her head at Toth, curious but rightfully afraid, and it gives Toth a chance to look her over. The girl looks fairly young, but not young enough to cause concern. She has long, incredibly messy orange hair, thick with mats and dirt. Her eyes are a bright, shamrock green, and her pale face is absolutely littered with freckles. Her clothes are filthy, her rust colored pants torn at the knees and speckled with mud stains. Finally, the girl wears a short-sleeved, seafoam green blouse, half of the buttons missing and a mysterious scorch mark fraying the shirt’s left sleeve.

With great self-restraint, Toth lowers her weapon, watching as the strange girl breathes a sigh of relief. Slowly, as to not spook her, Toth makes sure the girl is watching as she sheathes her weapon. This is clearly NOT the Nomad, but if this girl lives here, as she appears to… Toth needs to get on her good side, and that means she can’t scare her. “I’m sorry for scaring you,” Toth offers, after a too-long pause has caused the air to grow even tenser. “I’m guessing that you live around here?”

It takes a moment, but the stranger soon relaxes, a friendly smile appearing on her face. Toth returns the expression, admittedly fond of the girl’s adorable smile. “That I am, stranger!” The girl confirms, her accent hinting that she’s at least from this region. “What brings ya to the Briar? Gotta admit, I ain’t ever met nobody from outta the Briar ‘fore!”

Toth nods, subtly dusting more dirt off of herself. “I’m…,” She pauses, trying to think of what she should say. Should she outright admit that she’s looking for the Nomad? What if this girl lives with him, and would therefore want to keep him safe? If Toth wants to catch the Nomad, she’ll definitely need this girl’s help finding him. As sleezy as it is, she knows that she’ll have to trick this stranger. “I’m lost,” She finally says, giving the girl a sorrowful look. “My squad and I are here on a reconnaissance mission, but I lost my group… maybe you could help me?” She gives her a hopeful smile, trying to win her over.

The stranger brightens visibly, excited to not only see a new face, but potentially make a new friend. It breaks Toth’s heart that this is all a ruse, but it’s not like she can give everything away, not when the Nomad could very well be in this forest. If he’s not, she’ll find a way to make it up to this kid. “Lucky fer you, I’m well acquainted with these woods! Lived here my whole life!” The girl says, breaking the silence. She holds out her hand to Toth, her smile heartfelt and sincere. “I’m Skout by the way, and it’s mighty fine ta meet ya!”

“I’m Toth,” Toth replies, shaking Skout’s hand politely. Skout’s hands are small, with dirt caked under her fingernails, but she doesn’t make a big deal out of it. “So, how old are you anyway? I’m twenty-three, if it makes you feel better about sharing.”

“Just turned twenty today!” Skout chirps, daring to change the handshake into a hug. Toth stiffens in the embrace, and noticing this, Skout backs off, her face red with embarrassment. “Oh… sorry ‘bout that. Just… real happy to meet a friendly face. My brother ain’t much fer conversation.”

“Brother? Do you have a family out here?” Toth inquires. Internally, she already has an idea as to what’s going on out here- if the Nomad DOES live in this briar, then that could very well mean that he’s started up a family, which means… which means that Skout might be a magic user.

“Why yes I do! His name’s Hunter, and he's only a tad taller than me! He’s my twin!” Skout explains, before giving Toth a onceover, her eyes widening- it seems only now that she realizes that Toth’s hurt. “Oh my stars- are you alright!? My, you musta fell down this here slope, huh?” She gives said slope a dirty look, but it’s not like that will solve anything. “Here, let me git yer bag fer ya, you shouldn’t be haulin’ nothin’ on a sore back!”

“Wait, it’s very-” Toth cuts herself off as Skout, without hesitant, pulls on Toth’s backpack with seemingly little to no effort. “... heavy. How can you carry that? It’s over forty pounds!” Toth should know; she weighed it after Red Manuel tried to pick it up and damn near broke his back.

Skout raises an eyebrow, appearing confused. “What, like it’s hard? I’m used ta carryin’ heavy stuff ‘round here- had ta help my Pa when he upgraded the house, and that required a heck of a lot of wood!”

Toth nods, eyes wide as she recognizes how strong Skout must be. “That’s rather impressive… are you and your brother the only ones who are out here?” She hates to gloss over this skeptical- she has to admit, it’s doing things for her in a way that would make her blush if it was discovered- but she knows that gathering information is incredibly important, especially while she still has Skout alone. The last thing she needs is for Skout’s brother to show up and potentially be hostile towards outsiders.

It takes a moment before Skout solemnly nods, her expression turning sad. Toth internally grimaces, guessing that the reason Skout and Hunter are on their own out here could potentially be very bad. Are their parents dead? Toth hopes not, especially if Skout’s father really IS the Nomad. “Yeah… Ma and Pa died a couple years back,” She admits, eyes downcast as she refuses to meet Toth’s gaze. “But we’ve been gettin’ by… just hard.”

Toth breaks the distance between them, giving Skout a warm hug. The ginger takes it without hesitation, a few tears wetting Toth’s shirt. They both pull back after a few minutes, needing a break from physical contact. “... Should we get going?” Toth asks, wanting to change the subject.

Skout gives Toth a friendly smile, erasing any hint of sadness from her face in a heartbeat, save of course for her now red-rimmed eyes giving her away. “Yeah… that sounds nice. You’ll probably like my brother, he’s a real sweetheart! He can’t talk, but he’s the nicest fella yer ever gonna meet!” And so she begins to rattle on, grabbing ahold of Toth’s hand to begin leading her away from the clearing.

Toth smiles half-heartedly at Skout, knowing full well that the girl is still upset, but she encourages Skout to change the subject. “He sounds nice… why can’t he talk?”

Skout pauses momentarily, one foot propped up on an overturned log. “Ya know… Ma and Pa never really said why. He jus’ can’t. Been that way since we was kids.”

“What were your parents like? Sorry to pry, I'm just a bit nervous… worried your brother might not like outsiders.” Toth admits, eager to confirm her suspicions.

“You sure are curious, Toth,” Skout comments, but that doesn’t stop her from sharing. If it weren’t for the fact that Toth desperately needs the information, she would warn Skout that it’s too dangerous to be this friendly with strangers. “But ta answer yer question, they were both good people! Ma and Pa were so in love… after Ma got sick and passed, only made sense that Pa died a few months after her. It's been hard with them gone, but Hunter and I get by, seeing and as we still got our ma-” She freezes, realizing what she was about to say.

Toth bites her lip, tempted to engage Skout further. This just confirms it- the Nomad of Nowhere definitely used to live here, but it looks like he's dead now. That certainly won’t please Don Paragon… he’s not going to take no for an answer. Toth swallows, trying to figure out what she’ll do now that the Nomad’s dead. Skout looks nothing like him- and besides, she hasn’t proven herself to know magic yet- so she can’t bring her to the Don, and even if she did… Toth’s beginning to get attached. Skout’s incredibly sweet and kind, and it would be cruel to kidnap her when she’s done nothing to deserve it. But what about her brother? Perhaps he looks like the Nomad? That would be ideal, but… it would break Skout’s heart.

Toth sighs, heavily. She’s really gotten herself into a mess of trouble, becoming attached to someone she’s only just met. If only she hadn’t fallen down that slope… but if this is what fate intended, then it would be wrong of Toth to deny it. With a newfound resolve, Toth straightens, flashing Skout a strong, warm smile. “Skout… I need to tell you the truth.” She announces, hoping to God that Skout will understand.

Skout doesn’t even look over her shoulder at Toth to address her. “You came here to capture my father, didn’t you?” When she’s met with shocked silence, Skout continues. “I’ve gotta tell ya the truth too, Toth- you ain’t the first person who’s wandered into this Briar. Haven’t had anyone in here since Pa passed, but you ain’t the first, not by any margin. Back when Pa was alive, he’d take ‘em into the basement and _‘take care of them’_ ,” She uses air quotes, her posture painfully nonchalant considering the fact that her father apparently had a murder basement. “See, Pa knew they was after him, and that they’d kill me ‘n Hunter if they found out we was… magic. Now that he’s gone, I’ve not the foggiest idea of what to do, ‘cus I sure as Hell don’t wanna hurt you, Toth. Even if you are a bounty hunter.”

“I’m not…” Toth hesitates. What is she not? Is she not a bounty hunter? Is she not here to hurt her? Both are, inherently, lies. She IS a bounty hunter, even if she is only employed by the Don, and she DID come here with the intention of kidnapping the Nomad, and killing anyone affiliated with him. “Skout, I know that you shouldn’t trust me- it would be wrong to expect that from you- but I really don’t want to kill you. I can tell that you’re a good person, and your father’s actions are not your own; you can’t help who you’re born to. I may have come here to capture the Nomad… but I think my purpose for coming here is more than that. I can’t hurt you, Skout.”

Skout turns, finally meeting Toth’s eyes. There’s obvious fear there- she’s met bounty hunters before, ones that wouldn’t hesitate to harm a child to achieve their goals- but there’s a resilience there as well. “I don’t want to fight you either, Toth,” She agrees, sitting herself down on a nearby log. Toth does the same, sitting down beside her. “So then… why are you after the Nomad of Nowhere? Money? Fame? Have had all sorts goin’ after my Pa, but most are pretty one-note. Yer different.”

Toth smiles halfheartedly, appreciating the sentiment. “I work for Don Paragon, owner of a town known as ‘The Oasis’. It holds the largest water reservoir in the southwest. He’s sent me and my squad to capture the Nomad, in the hope that his capture will cause El Rey to promote him to a governor position. In return for doing this, Don has promised to provide my people all the water they need. See, I’m Y’Dalian… a dying race that’s down to a few tribes. My people are counting on me. That’s why I’m after the Nomad of Nowhere, and why I work for Don Paragon.”

Skout nods solemnly throughout Toth’s spiel, trying to provide moral support. Once Toth is done, she places a hand on her knee, rubbing there to try and comfort her newfound friend. “No wonder you came all the way out here… you just wanna help yer family,” Skout can’t help but become overwhelmed with warmth- Toth’s sacrificing so much for her family, something Skout can more than relate with. “Hunter and I may not be a skilled as Pa was… but maybe we can find a way ta help yer people. I mean, making water outta thin air ain’t easy- alchemy ain’t either of our strong suits- but maybe we can figure it out? I know that ain’t as guaranteed as the Don’s solution, but… it’s better than nothin’, right?”

It’s definitely a hard choice… it would be so much easier to just kidnap Skout and/or Hunter and turn them in, but the emotional turmoil would be so much worse. No… Toth can’t go down that path. It’s going to be hard- and her people will have to remain thirsty a little while longer- but it’s better than forcing her people to drink water that was exchanged for innocent lives. “It’s definitely going to be difficult, Skout… but I know we can do it. Together.”

“Great!” Skout jumps up, hugging Toth as tight as she can, momentarily ignoring Toth’s many bruises. “Now that that’s settled, we outta git you home! Once Hunter hears ‘bout you, he’ll definitely try ‘n help us!” She takes off deeper into the Briar, all the while holding onto Toth’s hand so she doesn’t get lost.

Toth can barely keep up, tripping a bit in an attempt to match Skout’s speed, but she can’t stop herself from smiling. Here she was, ready to come into this Briar and capture the Nomad… but instead, she’s had her heart captured by the Nomad’s daughter. She’s in a world of trouble now, but seeing as she now has Skout by her side… she figures she at least won’t be alone anymore.

* * *

Toth wasn’t sure WHAT she was expecting. An ominous mansion, a trap infested cabin, a single stairway no doubt leading into Hell… what she certainly WASN’T expecting was to find out that the Nomad of Nowhere had been living in a quaint, two-story cottage in the middle of nowhere. The clearing that the cottage is in is incredibly well-tended to, and a few Critters can be seen tending to a beloved vegetable garden on the side of the house. Skout enters the clearing without hesitation, letting out a loud whistle to signal her arrival, while Toth trails behind her, subtly hiding behind Skout until she’s properly introduced to the family.

It takes a minute, but before long, the front door to the cottage opens and out walks- “It’s him!” Toth barks, withdrawing her knife and pointing it at the Nomad- Skout said he was dead, but there’s no way in Hell that isn’t him! The resemblance is uncanny!

The Nomad jumps, looking terrified. “Ah! No, Toth, that’s not Pa- I already told you he was dead! It’s jus’ Hunter- he’s gotta wear Pa’s old clothes ‘cus he ain’t got none that fit ‘im!” Skout explains, stepping in-between the two. She turns her attention to Hunter, giving him a sheepish smile. “Sorry fer spookin’ ya, Hunter… but we’ve got company!”

Hunter shivers at the news, looking frantically between Skout and Toth. Desperately, the young man begins to make elaborate hand motions at his sister. It’s not any sign language that Toth’s seen before, likely meaning that it’s a secret language made-up between the twins. “Yeah yeah, I know… Pa told us ta never trust strangers, but she’s different! She ain’t gonna hurt us none! In fact, she’s here to get help from us.”

There’s a moment’s pause, where Toth’s half convinced that Hunter will attack, but instead, she’s immediately met with a bone-crushing hug from the man. Oh, _great_. This one’s a hugger, too. “Okay, alright, I get it!” Toth growls, finally managing to push Hunter off, who simply bounces in place once he’s freed her, even more excited to befriend a stranger than his sister. Dusting herself off, Toth frowns, struggling to figure out all the emotions Hunter’s attempting to convey. “Pardon me if this comes off as rude,” She says, giving Hunter a weary smile. “But, why are you wearing that bandana? It would be easier to read your facial expressions if I could see your mouth…”

The twins exchange a look, before Hunter pats a hand over his bandana, eyes closed. “It feels good,” Skout explains, shrugging halfheartedly. “‘Sides, not like I have much trouble understandin’ ‘im… but if you need it off, you need it off.” She gives her brother a somewhat sorry look.

Hunter visibly sags, but nonetheless removes the bandana, and after a second thought, his hat as well. Toth’s eyes widen at the sight of the young man, though she’s concerned he’s not even a human based on his… odd features. She had assumed that his onix colored face was a trick of the light, but no, his skin is colored black as oil, his eyes a creamy, milky white that seem to bore into Toth’s soul. The captain shivers, eyeing the short, shaggy black hair on Hunter’s head, so perfectly shaded that she was half convinced that he just had an oddly shaped head. Slowly, Hunter gives an open-mouthed smile, the inside of his mouth looking normal enough… but Toth’s still a bit creeped out, especially because he doesn't seem to have a nose.

It must show, because Skout laughs outright at the look on Toth’s face. “Yeah, Hunter ain’t entirely human. No idea what he is really, seein’ as Pa never got the chance ta say…” She visibly sags, earning herself a hug from her brother. “Thanks, Hunter,” She whispers, before smiling half-heartedly at Toth. “Come on inside, Toth… I’m sure yer plenty hungry by now.”

She really isn’t that hungry- Toth had been sure to eat a large breakfast before setting off on her journey this morning- but it would be rude to turn them down. “That sounds… nice.” She mutters, hoping that’s a suitable enough answer.

It seems to do the trick, as both twins grin, Skout grabbing her hand as she drags her inside the cottage, Hunter right on their heels.

* * *

Inside, the cottage is just as cozy as it looks on the outside. When first entering, all Toth sees is a small, cluttered kitchen, but the potted plants on the windowsill and neatly hung decorations elsewhere insure her that this house has been well lived in. Not knowing where else to go, Toth sits herself down at the kitchen table, Hunter sitting down across from her. Taking initiative, Skout goes about preparing lunch, a few stray Critters bringing her ingredients as the redhead gets to work, her movements fast and practiced. Even if Skout wanted to hide it, Toth still manages to catch the girl lighting the stove herself, a quick snap of her fingers bringing the stove to life, a roaring yet tamed fire beginning to warm the stove’s insides.

Toth smiles at the sight, feeling rather domestic all of a sudden. However, she’s broken from her trance by a movement caught out of the corner of her eye. She turns her head, focusing her attention to Hunter, who’s scribbling something down on a pad of paper. Once he’s done, Hunter sets the pen and pad down on the table, turning it one-hundred and eighty degrees to be facing Toth, before shoving it in her direction. Toth picks it up, eyeing the message carefully. “[Your name is Taught, right?]”

Toth laughs outright, earning a shy, muted chuckle from Hunter. Carefully, she sends a message back to Hunter, forcing herself to not write in cursive, just in case Hunter hasn’t learned it. “[No, my name is spelled T O T H. Toth. It means ‘sunset’.]”

Hunter grins upon getting Toth’s message, quick to send another to her. “[That’s Y’Dalian, right? Pa used to read old Y’Dalian magic books when he was alive… did Skout tell you what happened to him?]”

Toth sighs, sending Skout a sad glance. Skout doesn’t even notice, too busy chopping vegetables for what is undoubtedly a stew. “[Yes, I think so. He apparently died a few months after your mother did, right? She didn’t seem willing to talk about it, and I didn’t want to pry.]”

Hunter smiles, before nodding solemnly in acceptance. “[Skout took it really hard when Pa passed; she had only just presented as a magic user before he died, so he didn’t get much time to train her. Thankfully she’s really smart, and has learned most everything she knows from Pa’s journals and magic books. Her specialty is Destruction- meaning spells that can physically hurt people, like fire and ice. My specialty is Animation- I bring things to life, typically small objects. All the Critters you see around here were made by me.]”

Toth can’t help but be a tad surprised. “[I didn’t take Skout for the… physical type? Sorry if that came out wrong, I just can’t imagine her hurting anyone.]”

Again, this is met with what Toth can only assume is laughter. “[Don’t let her fool you- she’s as stubborn as Ma was. Ma was a Destruction specialist, too. But unlike Pa, she wasn’t as trained as he was. I don’t have the full story, but I know that Ma was raised by a wizard who was keen on keeping her abilities a secret… she met my father while he was on the run, and joined him. He was able to teach her some more magic, but… she didn’t have very long. :(]”

Toth raises an eyebrow at the frowny face. “[I’m sorry if this is prying, but… how did your mother die? Mine died of pneumonia when I was sixteen, if that makes you feel better about sharing.]”

Apparently it does help, even if it takes Hunter a few minutes of brainstorming to answer her. “[I’m still not entirely sure. One morning, she just… didn’t wake up. Pa said it was El Rey’s doing, and nearly set the Briar on fire in his rage, but Skout and I managed to calm him down. Then he just… sat down and cried. I’m not sure who this ‘El Rey’ is, but I know that Pa knew him, back when he was the bad king’s assistant.]”

Toth’s eyes widen after reading Hunter’s response, realizing what Hunter’s implying. “[The Nomad of Nowhere worked for El Rey? The wanted posters didn’t mention that, not even the older ones made by El Rey himself!]”

Hunter just nods, unaffected by the information. “[He did what he had to. Pa never told us why or how long he worked for El Rey, but I figure some things are better left buried. He’s dead now, and I don’t want to damage my memories of him by uncovering some sort of secret he chose to hide from us.]”

Okay, Toth can respect that. She thinks it’s a bit foolish to willingly ignore what could be very important information, but she won’t make a big deal out of it. If Hunter wants to believe that his father is a good man, then she won’t ruin that for him. “[I suppose I understand that… I don’t agree with you, but I’m not looking to start a fight over it. So how old were you when your parents passed away?]”

Even if it’s still a harsh subject, Hunter seems pleased to change it. “[Around 10 or so. It was hard, surviving on our own, but we’ve managed to get by. The Critters are usually enough to scare most outsiders off, and our garden makes us self-sufficient. You’re the first outsider who’s come this far since Pa was alive.]”

Toth bites her lip, glancing between Hunter and Skout. Should she wait for Skout to explain this to him? Fuck it, it would be better to just get it over with. “[I was going to wait for Skout to explain this to you, but I suppose it would be better if I just wrote it down. I originally came here to capture your father- the Nomad of Nowhere- but I’ve had a change of heart after meeting Skout. I don’t want to hurt her, or you for that matter. However, I still need help… you see, I’m from a Y’Dalian tribe, and they’re beginning to die out. They’re in desperate need of water, but my employer won’t give them any unless I capture a magic user for him. I know it’s a tall order, but maybe you or Skout could just ‘make’ them some water? I’m not sure if magic even works like that.]”

Hunter examines Toth’s message, again struggling to come up with an answer. Eventually, he scribbles one out. “[Me and Skout aren’t as powerful as our parents were- at least not yet- but we can certainly try. To make water, there would need to be equal sacrifice. Magic is like that sometimes. Maybe a lot of sand would work? I’m not sure, we’ll have to figure it out.]”

Before Toth can write out a response- they’re running out of paper here, but it’s honestly a bit fun to communicate only with a pen and pad- Skout finally finishes her preparations, tossing the ingredients into a pot of chicken broth before joining her companions at the table. “Sorry fer takin’ so long, everyone.” She apologizes, ducking her head almost shamefully.

Toth gives her a small smile. “It’s not your fault- I should’ve pitched in to help. I just got caught up in a conversation with your brother here.”

Skout raises an eyebrow, eyeing the notepad. She doesn’t read it, preferring to give her new friend and twin brother privacy, but she visibly brightens at the news. “That’s so good! And here I was worried y’all weren’t gonna get along none… guess that was foolish of me. Lunch should be done in an hour or so. Should we, uh, figure out our plan while we wait, or…?”

“We can’t leave right away,” Toth’s quick to take initiative. “Not with Red Manuel and the Dandy Lions still closeby. Oh God, Red Manuel…” She groans internally; no way that rat bastard will understand. He’s only ever been in it for himself. He’ll gladly turn them all in if he gets the chance. “Look, it’ll take some convincing, but given enough time I can get Red and the others out of here. Once they’re safely back in the Oasis, I’ll escape in the middle of the night and return here. Hopefully Don will think I ran away out of frustration. Once I return, we’ll head to where my tribe is located. Along the way we can search for a way to create water using your magic.”

“Sounds a bit risky, but Hell, ain’t like we’ve got anythin’ ta lose on our end!” Skout says, giving Hunter an eager grin. “Whata ya say, Hunter? Feel like adventuring into the great unknown?”

Hunter grins, giving both Toth and Skout two enthusiastic thumbs up. “Then it’s settled… we’ll be on our way in no time.” Toth murmurs, biting back a sigh. She just hopes there’s a tribe to come home to… it’s been so long, she’s worried that there might be nothing left to save.

Just then, a rustle sounds from the trees outside. Toth holds up a hand, signaling for the twins to hush. They obey without hesitation, the two ducking quietly under the kitchen table, their stances hinting that they’re ready for anything. The noises only grow louder. Carefully, Toth makes her way towards the door, peeking out a window. Outside, the rest of Blue Team can be seen emerging from the bramble, looking a little torn up around the edges, but otherwise unharmed. Good, Red Manuel hasn’t found them yet… maybe Toth can explain her situation to them? No, they’d never understand, not even Null… she’ll have to lie her way through this.

Toth opens the door after a pause, causing her Dandy Lions to gasp and come running. She shuts the door behind her, not allowing her men to see what’s inside. “Toth! Oh thank God!” Jethro pants, doubling over to hold onto his knees. He looks positively exhausted. “We thought… we thought you were a goner fer sure!”

Santi rubs Jethro’s back, trying to comfort his friend. “It’s like I told you, Jethro- Toth’s spirit is that of a lion, and cannot be snuffed so easily! I told you she’d be alright.”

Null rolls his eyes at the exchange, thoroughly unimpressed. “Not like it was that far a drop…” He murmurs, before trying to subtly flash Toth a worried look. “But we are glad you’re alright, boss.”

Toth smiles, somewhat glad that she was missed. Some days she can hardly tell if her soldiers even like her or not… it’s going to make it that much harder to abandon them. “Sorry for worrying you all- I should’ve paid better attention to the road. However, I’m pl- _ashamed_ to report that the Nomad of Nowhere… isn’t here.” She struggles with her words, unable to keep from fearfully glancing over her shoulder.

Unfortunately for her, Null catches onto her hesitation. “You sure about that, boss? ‘Cus this cottage looks pretty lived in… and you’re acting like someone has a knife to your back…” Just to make sure, the fellow Y’Dalian glances behind his leader, checking for any hidden assailants.

Toth’s quick to push him away, keeping her soldier from investigating further. “There’s nothing here, Null,” She rarely addresses her soldiers by name, so she hopes the use of it will make her words sink in. “I’ve checked this cottage from top to bottom, and no one’s home. Nothing but dust and old books.”

Jethro raises an eyebrow, looking over Toth’s shoulder. “Then what’s cookin’ in there?” He sniffs the air, letting out a pleased hum. “Whatever it is, it smells heavenly!”

Toth’s eyes widen. Oh no, oh no, oh no. “Okay, so… there is someone here. Two… someones,” She looks away, unable to meet their eyes. “But they’re on our side, I swear! You just… you just need to listen to me, alright? Red Manuel _cannot_ find out about this!”

“Cannot find out about _what_?”

If there were a God that Toth knew of, she’d curse them out in a heartbeat for putting her through this. “It’s _nothing_ , Red Manuel,” She growls, swinging to her right to find Red Manuel and his group approaching. “You’d best know your place and stay _out_ of my business, understand?”

Red only scoffs, waving his commanding officer off. “Yes yes, how we all _love_ to pick on Red Manuel,” He teases, before holding up an unfortunate little rock Critter. The tiny thing thrashes and squirms in his grip, but it’s no use. “However, I think today we have a more, how you say… _deserving target_. You see, Dandy Lions?” He tosses the Critter to Jethro, who catches it easily, watching with wide eyes as the little thing tucks itself into his shirt sleeve for safety. “Toth has deceived us all! The Nomad is by no doubts inside, and she aims to hide him from us! What do you say, amigos? Shall we allow this Y’Dalian imbecile to walk all over us, or shall we capture the Nomad ourselves and claim our rightful glory?”

There’s a pause, where Toth mentally prepares herself to be backstabbed. Instead, she’s met with Null, Santi, and Jethro taking charge, forming a wall between her and Red Manuel. “Last I checked, Toth never walked on any of us! And besides, who’s to say you won’t steal the glory for yourself?” Null asks, glaring wholeheartedly at Red. “I’d rather trust my people than follow your orders, Manuel!”

“It’s true that Toth may be lying to us,” Jethro trails off, pulling out the Critter. He hesitates, before gently petting it’s head, earning the Critter’s affection in the form of it hugging his thumb, causing him to smile. “But I don’t think she’s doin’ it ta hurt nobody… heck, I get the feelin’ she’s protectin’ somethin’ real important. So no, Red Manuel… I ain’t siding with you, either.”

“Anywhere my friends go, I shall follow,” Santi says, slinging his arms around both Jethro and Null’s waists. “You are nothing but trouble, amigo.” He adds, unafraid to talk back now that he knows that he’s not alone.

Red Manuel only laughs, watching with delight as the rest of Blue Team joins his, leaving only Toth, Jethro, Santi, and Null to oppose him. “Then you’re all fools,” He declares, drawing his gun and aiming it at Toth. “You all had your chance, but it appears that Red Manuel has the high ground. Now, shall you die like dogs, or surrender?”

Toth pushes Null and the others gently aside, withdrawing her battleaxe in preparation. “We’ll die like warriors.” She says, quietly praying that Hunter and Skout will escape during the oncoming fight. Even if she can’t fulfill her promise to her people… she has hope that they will.

“Nobody’s gonna die!”

The crowd goes silent, all eyes turning to find Skout and Hunter standing a little ways away, armed only with a broom and large tree branch. “It’s the Nomad of Nowhere!” One of Red’s men shouts, pointing at Hunter.

“What? No, he’s not-” But Toth’s too late.

Immediately, Red’s newfound army charges the twins. Unused to combat, they both take off running. However, it seems that Hunter understands who they’re after, and without looking back, he pushes his sister into a nearby ditch, successfully hiding her while he deals with the trespassers. Hunter leads them behind the cottage, and right into one of his father’s old traps. As soon as the strangers set their feet on the darkened dirt, a thick cloud of grey smoke emerges from the soil, successfully creating a smokescreen between Hunter and the trespassers. While Hunter keeps them busy, Toth runs to help Skout out of the ditch.

“Ow…” Skout groans, leaning on Toth as the Y’Dalian helps her to her feet. “Remind me ta never challenge an angry mob again,” She looks around, eyes widening in horror. “Oh God! Where’s Hunter!?”

“I…” Toth looks to the battlefield, but all she sees is smoke. “I don’t know!” She admits, sitting Skout down on the ground to dust her off. “But we’ll find him, I promise!”

“He’s escaping!” Red Manuel screams from the brawl, and he’s right. Hunter comes tumbling out of the smoke after a moment, the young man taking off into the Briar’s dense jungle. “Burn him out! Burn the wizard!”

Chaos, that’s all this has become. Toth’s eyes widen in horror as, one by one, the Dandy Lions under Red Manuel’s command begin setting the Briar ablaze, until all she sees is black smoke and roaring flames. Covering her mouth with her hands, Toth ducks into a mud-slick slope alongside Skout, using her body to shield Skout from any falling debris. Soon enough, Jethro, Santi, and Null join her in the hiding spot, taking cover alongside their commander as the forest around them burns to the ground. Toth squeezes her eyes shut, willing the fire to disappear, but nothing helps. She looks to Skout, only to find her unconscious. Fearful, Toth hugs Skout to her chest, tears dripping down her face.

“I’ll protect you, Skout… I’ll protect you.” It’s all Toth can manage, as a moment later, the overabundance of inhaled smoke causes her to lose consciousness, her last memory being of Skout’s face.

* * *

It’s a long time before Toth wakes up, but when she does, the headache she has is unmatched. She groans, sitting up to find herself… outside the Briar? She leaps up, horrified as she tries to figure out if everything from yesterday- Skout, Hunter, the little cottage, her men turning against her- was all a dream or not. Unable to grasp reality, Toth tries to look around, searching for any hint that yesterday was real. She isn’t even sure if she wants it to be or not. Would it be better if Skout and everything involving her was all a dream? No, Toth can’t imagine going back to her life before yesterday’s events. It’s crazy, she knows, to fall in love so quickly and foolishly, but now she can’t imagine a life without her. Without Skout.

Even if the sound hints at pain, Toth is relieved when she hears a pained groan behind her. She swings around, unable to keep from crying a little when her eyes land on Skout. “Skout!” She shouts, crouching down in the dirt beside her friend.

“Toth?” Skout’s voice is groggy, but she manages a lopsided smile for Toth before it fades into a pained grimace. “What… what happened?” She glances around, squinting in confusion. “Where’s Hunter?”

“I don’t know… I’m just glad you’re safe,” Toth sighs, pulling Skout into a sitting position before hugging her as tight as she can, refusing to lose her. “I was so scared that yesterday was a dream… I’m just glad it wasn’t.”

“Kinda wish the burning part was,” Null’s voice pipes in, the fellow Y’Dalian sitting up a few feet away, his hair an absolute mess. “God, I have such a headache!”

“Nothin’ a swig ‘a water wouldn’t solve,” Jethro assures, sitting up with Santi’s legs on his lap, the two of them having unintentionally snuggled in their sleep. “But yeah, that fire sure was somethin’... can’t believe everybody turned on us.”

“Every traitor is another man’s revolutionist,” Santi explains, sending Toth a small, if not pained, smile. “Unfortunately for us, our so-called comrades have decided to conform to capitalism.”

Toth sighs under her breath, just glad that everyone got out alright… except Hunter. She stands, giving the Briar a sad look- the entire bramble has been burnt to charcoal, the air still laced with the scent of burning wood and dead animals. She winces, all too aware that she’s inadvertently caused Skout’s childhood home to burn down. Glancing around, Toth suddenly catches sight of a pen and notepad… the same ones she used to communicate with Hunter yesterday. It looks unharmed, causing Toth’s chest to tighten in anticipation. Did Hunter make it out? Is this a clue?

She snatches it up, flipping through the notebook to the last page- the only one that had been left after her and Hunter’s conversation. Toth’s eyes widen in shock as she reads the letter to herself.

“[After you lost consciousness, I managed to chase those ‘Dandy Lions’ out of the Briar. I also got a friend to help me put out the fire, but it looks like I was too late. The house is almost nothing but soot now- don’t let Skout see. I fixed up Ma and Pa’s graves so they’d be at rest, but that’s all we can do for them now. I’m going to keep going from here. Those guys are only after me, and I’d hate to endanger you or my sister anymore than I already have. I know that it’s a tall order, but please… keep Skout safe. I promised Pa I’d protect her, but I can’t do that with a target on my back. I hope to see you both again someday. Love, Hunter. PS, tell Skout not to come looking for me. The last thing she needs is to get hurt trying to save me.]”

“It’s from Hunter, isn’t it?” Toth’s broken from her trance by Skout’s voice, the redhead being helped to her feet by Jethro and Santi. “I’m sure he’s off gettin’ into God knows how much trouble tryin’ to keep the heat off of us… he’s jus’ as headstrong as Ma was,” She forces herself to walk without assistance, coming to stand across from Toth. “I know I promised to help your people, Toth. But… I need to save my brother first.”

“For the record, I have NO idea what’s going on,” Null says, before slinging an arm casually around Santi’s neck, flashing Toth a lopsided smirk. “But what the Hell? We’ve already turned on Red and the Dandy Lions- let’s go cause some more trouble!”

“I concur!” Jethro adds, his grin widening when the Critter he befriended yesterday pops out of his coat pocket, the tiny thing covered in soot. “Hey, my lil’ buddy made it!” He shouts, dusting off the little creature. “Don’t you worry, lil’ guy. I’ll protect you!”

_“I’ll protect you, Skout… I’ll protect you.”_

Toth shivers at the memory, remembering her promise. Her people… they mean everything to her. But seeing her most trusted men devoting themselves to her cause so quickly, alongside her newfound friend Skout… she knows what she has to do. “My people have waited before- we need to save Hunter first,” She announces, setting a hand on Skout’s shoulder. “Together, I know we’ll find him… and once we do, we’ll save my people.”

“Then why wait?” Santi asks, jumping up to point to the horizon and steadily rising sun. “There is justice to be served, my friends. We should begin posthaste!”

“Oh, this is gonna be _such_ a good idea,” Null groans sarcastically, rolling his eyes at Santi’s word choice. “But yeah, there’s no time like the present. We should probably head North- there’re some towns that way that’ll probably know where the Nomad went,” He glances a few times between Skout and Toth, hesitant. “Look, I don’t know what’s happening, or who this girl is, but I’m willing to help. Just say the word.”

Skout grins, hugging Null as tight as she can, earning a wholehearted laugh from the other Dandy Lions. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!” She yells, before jumping back and grabbing Toth’s hand, leading her northbound. “You heard the man- let’s find my brother!”

Toth blinks, the weight of everything hitting her like a bag of bricks. Thankfully, she doesn’t outwardly falter, allowing Skout to keep dragging her, but the realization still hits hard. Less than twenty-four hours ago, she entered the Briar in search of the dreaded Nomad of Nowhere, fully prepared to kill anyone who dared to get in her way. Now it’s the next day, and she’s leaving the Briar in ruin, alongside her last remaining soldiers and Skout, someone she’s beginning to believe she’s in love with. It’s hard to believe this complete change of heart happened in less than a day, but then again… twenty-four hours can change a lot of things. For Toth, it changed everything.

It’s going to be hard, now that she’s lost over half her squad and probably all of her honor, but still… Toth is pretty sure that whatever comes, she’ll always have her friends by her side. And that will have to be enough.

**Author's Note:**

> And there it is!!! I hope you all enjoyed this piece, and I'd appreciate it if y’all took a moment to vote for which idea I should write out next! (Sorry if this ending felt rushed- it came to me as I wrote it and it felt weird to change it too much. I just hope you all like it as much as I do).
> 
> 1\. Rewrite Nodad Twins AU Fic. I didn’t like the approach I took and I want to retry it.  
> 2\. Nodad backstory fic for Twins AU. Will have Nodad/El Rey (It's… weird, I know. Just trust me on this one).  
> 3\. How Skout and Toth met (could or could not be within the regular Twins AU, we’ll see).  
> 4\. AU where the Nomad was originally a stillborn from Melinda’s mother and her dad put the dead baby in the scarecrow’s chest to give him another chance at life I’m not even kidding. (This one is already partially written but I'm having trouble with it so feel free to choose another option if you want).  
> 5\. Fic for Actual Canon (shocking, I know) where the Nomad and Skout are traveling together post-season 1 and on a cold night Skout cuddles him for warmth and discovers the stone (not a ship thing but if it's interpreted that way I won't be upset).  
> 6\. A sequel to this piece, either continuing from where it left off or somewhere else later on in this AU (could be an interpretation of an episode, or something else, we’ll see)!  
> 7\. Suggestions!!! Comment an idea and I might write it (no guarantees though)!


End file.
